The 10 Best Suburbs In Illinois For 2024


The best suburbs in Illinois are Western Springs and Hinsdale for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Are you sick of being a city slicker?

Do you long for life in suburban Illinois? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.

We do, too.

If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Springfield, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Illinois suburb was best?

No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


Western Springs is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Illinois.

So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Illinois, we’ve got you covered.

Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Illinois and the best places to raise a family in Illinois.

Best Suburbs In Illinois For 2024

Western Springs, IL

Source: Wikipedia User MrHarman | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 13,557
Median Income: $198,836
Average Home Price: $700,654
More on Western Springs: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Western Springs is located 11 miles west of Chicago.

Hinsdale, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Teemu08 at English Wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 17,169
Median Income: $250,001
Average Home Price: $1,010,524
More on Hinsdale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Hinsdale is located 12 miles west of Chicago.

Deerfield, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Shsilver at English Wikipedia | CC BY 3.0 us
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 19,173
Median Income: $185,762
Average Home Price: $520,189
More on Deerfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Deerfield is located 24 miles north of Chicago.

Northbrook, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Michael Miller | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 34,950
Median Income: $150,236
Average Home Price: $573,899
More on Northbrook: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Northbrook is located 21 miles north of Chicago.

Lincolnshire, IL

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 7,907
Median Income: $155,395
Average Home Price: $626,704
More on Lincolnshire: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Lincolnshire is located 27 miles north of Chicago.

Inverness, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Neva O’Laughlin | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 7,722
Median Income: $207,623
Average Home Price: $700,604
More on Inverness: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Inverness is located 28 miles west of Chicago.

Park Ridge, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Brett Clark, APR | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 39,368
Median Income: $137,964
Average Home Price: $491,808
More on Park Ridge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Park Ridge is located 14 miles north of Chicago.

Wheaton, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Katherine Johnson from Springfield, IL | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 53,673
Median Income: $113,523
Average Home Price: $431,270
More on Wheaton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Wheaton is located 21 miles west of Chicago.

La Grange, IL

Source: Wikipedia User MrHarman | CC BY 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 16,128
Median Income: $141,235
Average Home Price: $522,753
More on La Grange: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

La Grange is located 10 miles west of Chicago.

Riverside, IL

Source: Wikipedia User Nmaviano | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 9,225
Median Income: $149,464
Average Home Price: $476,379
More on Riverside: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate

Riverside is located 6 miles west of Chicago.

Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Prairie State

We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Illinois. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”

First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Illinois, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.

In other words, suburbs.

We paid particular attention to the following criteria:

  • Median Home Values
  • Median Income
  • Population Density (Higher is Better)
  • Unemployment Rates
  • Commute Time
  • Education Levels
  • Health Insurance Coverage
  • Poverty Rates

We ranked each suburb in Illinois across these criteria from one to 159, with one being the best.

We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Illinois.”

The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Illinois.

Read on to see why Western Springs is the ‘burb with the most, while Harvey is probably not the best place to live in Illinois.

Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Illinois

If you’re measuring the locations in Illinois where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.

The best suburbs in Illinois are Western Springs, Hinsdale, Deerfield, Northbrook, Lincolnshire, Inverness, Park Ridge, Wheaton, La Grange, and Riverside.

Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Illinois according to the data:

  1. Harvey
  2. Markham
  3. Chicago Heights

For more Illinois reading, check out:

The Best Suburbs In Illinois

Rank City Population Median Income Median Home Price
1 Western Springs 13,557 $198,836 $700,654
2 Hinsdale 17,169 $250,001 $1,010,524
3 Deerfield 19,173 $185,762 $520,189
4 Northbrook 34,950 $150,236 $573,899
5 Lincolnshire 7,907 $155,395 $626,704
6 Inverness 7,722 $207,623 $700,604
7 Park Ridge 39,368 $137,964 $491,808
8 Wheaton 53,673 $113,523 $431,270
9 La Grange 16,128 $141,235 $522,753
10 Riverside 9,225 $149,464 $476,379
11 Winfield 9,947 $136,696 $401,970
12 La Grange Park 13,332 $113,419 $412,033
13 Northfield 5,707 $146,538 $689,829
14 Clarendon Hills 8,658 $115,923 $561,818
15 Winnetka 12,607 $250,001 $1,450,397
16 Wilmette 27,801 $183,750 $792,941
17 Elmhurst 45,648 $143,492 $500,450
18 Glencoe 8,787 $228,750 $1,230,212
19 Itasca 9,627 $113,162 $380,589
20 Buffalo Grove 42,934 $127,553 $378,470
21 Highland Park 30,209 $159,567 $633,282
22 South Barrington 5,001 $226,042 $957,504
23 Lake Forest 19,436 $202,153 $997,291
24 Burr Ridge 11,131 $174,342 $724,731
25 Naperville 149,089 $143,754 $527,805
26 Glen Ellyn 28,304 $128,132 $483,880
27 Downers Grove 49,996 $115,461 $424,001
28 Mokena 19,886 $122,235 $406,985
29 Darien 21,953 $110,546 $391,312
30 New Lenox 27,242 $129,797 $397,624
31 Palos Heights 11,965 $105,366 $354,730
32 Westchester 16,694 $101,414 $316,020
33 Arlington Heights 76,794 $113,502 $403,495
34 River Forest 11,568 $144,784 $625,449
35 Lemont 17,558 $128,694 $491,388
36 Frankfort 20,260 $157,615 $439,784
37 Columbia 11,036 $106,603 $297,638
38 Lombard 44,055 $95,509 $328,254
39 Long Grove 8,279 $236,172 $799,502
40 Bloomingdale 22,435 $96,779 $375,771
41 Willow Springs 5,862 $100,775 $336,794
42 Lisle 23,499 $106,265 $368,104
43 Lincolnwood 13,268 $99,390 $473,704
44 Glenview 47,896 $134,910 $556,329
45 Troy 10,920 $93,850 $284,832
46 Vernon Hills 26,750 $117,253 $378,263
47 Oak Brook 8,065 $158,663 $823,438
48 Westmont 24,271 $82,519 $347,110
49 Roselle 22,846 $104,167 $331,035
50 Orland Park 58,345 $97,365 $367,054
51 Mount Prospect 56,191 $100,526 $372,693
52 O’fallon 32,104 $102,560 $284,724
53 Carol Stream 39,656 $103,525 $330,804
54 Homer Glen 24,507 $130,235 $460,898
55 Orland Hills 6,842 $92,830 $292,934
56 Shiloh 13,892 $94,539 $275,510
57 Willowbrook 9,177 $95,649 $294,149
58 Maryville 8,219 $96,373 $298,020
59 Woodridge 34,027 $95,756 $356,860
60 Warrenville 13,945 $95,919 $307,146
61 Lockport 26,119 $106,923 $315,083
62 Morton Grove 24,910 $102,940 $375,363
63 Villa Park 22,753 $90,287 $302,069
64 Hoffman Estates 51,744 $107,428 $343,446
65 Harwood Heights 8,942 $77,617 $336,787
66 Schaumburg 77,571 $92,818 $304,016
67 Glen Carbon 13,654 $92,002 $291,991
68 Oak Park 53,834 $103,264 $391,539
69 Oak Forest 27,199 $89,758 $263,395
70 Flossmoor 9,405 $140,703 $318,241
71 Mascoutah 8,762 $93,403 $229,083
72 Waterloo 11,012 $88,019 $276,117
73 Glendale Heights 33,088 $83,588 $273,482
74 Wood Dale 13,903 $86,441 $304,707
75 Edwardsville 26,622 $87,094 $293,595
76 Tinley Park 55,571 $99,628 $297,581
77 Evanston 77,181 $93,188 $410,543
78 Brookfield 19,349 $98,867 $307,049
79 Highwood 5,227 $105,282 $389,661
80 Evergreen Park 19,730 $92,266 $255,976
81 Swansea 14,888 $85,603 $236,395
82 Addison 35,685 $82,547 $325,203
83 Palatine 67,223 $93,383 $312,692
84 Skokie 67,076 $91,892 $358,422
85 Streamwood 39,556 $94,951 $280,844
86 Hickory Hills 14,915 $81,385 $290,409
87 Norridge 15,291 $84,539 $354,846
88 Rolling Meadows 24,054 $91,287 $288,538
89 Lyons 10,687 $59,399 $241,874
90 Bethalto 9,281 $67,569 $177,611
91 Hanover Park 37,222 $88,460 $279,141
92 Niles 30,637 $75,783 $348,195
93 Monee 5,120 $86,849 $307,912
94 Des Plaines 60,087 $86,552 $293,438
95 Bensenville 18,673 $76,489 $306,287
96 Bolingbrook 73,755 $102,057 $317,734
97 Schiller Park 11,600 $65,862 $268,641
98 River Grove 10,532 $72,466 $268,385
99 Godfrey 17,791 $84,920 $191,951
100 Berkeley 5,283 $79,691 $260,880
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.